The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight

Illustration

Jan van der Crabben
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published on 23 August 2019
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The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight

The Lady and the Unicorn are six tapestries depicting a Medieval lady in various poses. Each scene depicts one of the five senses, as well as a sixth scene labelled Mon Seul Désir (my only desire) whose meaning is unclear. Historians attribute the tapestries to be commissioned by the Le Viste family due to the coat of arms prominently placed on the tapestries.

The tapestries were made at the crossroads between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, around 1500 CE, most likely by a Parisian artist who also created the Christian devotional book Très Petites Heures of Anne of Brittany (1477 - 1514 CE). They might have been weaved in Paris or in other centres in northern France or the Netherlands.

Wool and Silk. Musee de Cluny, Paris, France. Cl. 10831-10836.

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About the Author

Jan van der Crabben
Jan is the Founder and CEO of World History Encyclopedia, leading the non-profit company to best fulfil its mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. He holds an MA War Studies from King's College.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Crabben, J. v. d. (2019, August 23). The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11082/the-lady-and-the-unicorn-sight/

Chicago Style

Crabben, Jan van der. "The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 23, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11082/the-lady-and-the-unicorn-sight/.

MLA Style

Crabben, Jan van der. "The Lady and the Unicorn: Sight." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 23 Aug 2019. Web. 28 Oct 2021.